Significantly overcame major traffic problems to run down Ramazan and claim a dramatic victory in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup.
The 8/1 joint-favourite suffered a narrow defeat in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster last time and looked set for another agonising loss when the door closed on him inside the final furlong.
However switched in the closing stages to find racing room by Joe Fanning, the market leader rattled home to overhaul the 16/1 runner-up who looked all over the winner and score by a neck.
Gweedore (11/1) finished third ahead of Albasheer (12/1) who flew home having been nearer last than first at the furlong pole.
Fanning was winning his first Ayr Gold Cup and told ITV Racing: “I would have been an unlucky loser. Everywhere I went I just got shut off but he has a lot of ability this horse. He travelled so well through the race.I was a little unlucky last week, I thought I should have won the Portland but they brought him back well, freshened him up and he did the job today. I won last week the stride before the line and the stride after the line so it was good to get this one.”
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“We’re thrilled, he’s a decent horse and it’s a bit of compensation for last week when he ran so well and he just didn’t quite make it,” said Steve Brown, trainer Julie Camacho’s husband and assistant. He’s a horse that was very good in his younger days when he was produced by Karl (Burke) and he’s just slowly working his way back to that level.”
Of the decision to run him again a week after Doncaster, Brown added: “There’s always a little bit of trepidation because you’re never quite sure if they’re in the same form, he’s just had a quiet week.
“He did a couple of canters and he didn’t give us any indication that he wasn’t well, we were happy to take our chances and I think we had to go for it with him being such a fancied runner.
“I think he’d have been an unlucky loser but it worked out and I’m thrilled for Niall (O’Keeffe, owner), it’s his first year with horses with us and it’s great to win a big for him.”
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